BMW M4 may not get a manual transmission at all

The latest from Autoblog pegs the production version for a January 2014 release at the North American International Auto Show. Initial gobbledygook online suggested the M4 would be headed to the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.

We also may finally have a concrete idea of what may lie under the hood. A 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline-six is expected, pumping out 450 horsepower. Are you ready for the bad news? BMW apparently does not intend to offer a six-seed manual transmission; only a dual-clutch transmission will be standard fare. Sacrilege? That would depend on who you’d ask, but we’re sure the dual-clutch gearbox will be a quick-shifting and silky-smooth operator.